Deconstructing Kurosawa’s Overrated Film Noir Masterpiece
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Tatsuya Mihashi, Kenjiro Ishiyama, Isao Kimura
Related Films: Stray Dogs, Ikiru, Pigs and Battleships, Tokyo Story
Studio: Toho
Year: 1963
Verdict: 3.5/6
High and Low is widely acclaimed and undeniably influential. It earned a Golden Lion nomination in Venice and a spot among IMDb’s 100 best films of all time. Yet, for all its accolades, it is arguably one of Kurosawa’s most overrated works.
Though Kurosawa is one of my all-time favorite directors, and as much as I wanted to love High and Low, it faltered under the weight of dubious plot points, underdeveloped characters, stiff performances, and an overly detail-oriented narrative.
To its credit, the film showcases remarkable technical craftsmanship. However, its painstaking depiction of rigorous police work, while perhaps a believable reflection of actual investigations, ultimately deflates the entertainment factor.
Related article: Against all Odds, Rashomon Changed Japanese Film Forever After!
Contents:
High and Low Synopsis | A Derailing Plot
Gondo, played by Toshiro Mifune, is a shoemaker who has worked his way up to become a major shareholder in a company called National Shoes. He takes great pride in his work, but in 1960s Japan, capitalism clashes with his focus on quality over quantity.
When his fellow shareholders propose a shift to producing cheap shoes for a throwaway society, Gondo sets his foot down and opposes them, both to their faces and behind the scenes. Secretly, he invests his life savings in an attempt to gain a majority share of the company, but then life throws him a screwball.
Just as he spends his last penny, a kidnapper abducts his son and demands a huge ransom. Before long, however, it’s revealed that the kidnapper mistakenly took Gondo’s chauffeur’s son instead.
This presents Gondo with a moral dilemma: take out another loan that would financially cripple him or leave the abducted child’s safety to fate. Before he can decide, High and Low abruptly shifts gears. Enter Inspector Tokura, played by Tatsuya Nakadai, whose arrival transforms the film into a meticulous crime investigation.
In other words, the film shifts from a gripping character study to a procedural police film noir, drastically altering the atmosphere. This is further enforced after the chauffeur’s son is returned for the ransom.
Then, the film takes another turn and becomes a manhunt when the detectives discover that the kidnapper is a medical intern who manipulated two drug addicts into enacting an elaborate scheme, only to kill them thereafter. His goal? To make Gondo pay for his perceived role in the growing disparity between the wealthy and the poor in post-war Japan.
Inexplicable Choices and Plot Holes
As visually striking as a ransom exchange on a bullet train is, it raises logistical questions. How did the kidnapper manage to track Gondo’s precise movements so effectively?
More importantly, if he could orchestrate such a complex ransom exchange, why was he unable to anticipate or even notice the police’s rather clumsy surveillance as they tailed him through the lowbrow alleyways of heroin addicts and prostitutes?
By contrasting the kidnapper’s meticulous planning with his subsequent carelessness, the narrative weakens the plausibility and undercuts the tension of the ending. As such, the storytelling immersion is disrupted, making us acutely aware that the plot is all carefully concocted and, at times, overly contrived.
Ultimately, the kidnapper sought to make a statement about the decadence caused by Japan’s economic miracle and the rise of extreme consumerism. Ironically, he made Gondo the scapegoat, who opposed the degradation of his craft and, by extension, the social decay brought on by capitalism.
In attacking Gondo, the kidnapper weakens his own statement, striking at one of his last remaining allies within the elite. Gondo was not only a working man who climbed to the top through hard work but also a steadfast believer in quality and sacrifice for the greater good.
Ultimately, Gondo represents the enduring values of Japanese tradition: diligence, excellence, and selflessness. The kidnapper, by contrast, becomes a symbol of the very social decay he claims to denounce, willing to betray and destroy his fellow man in pursuit of his goals.
The Good and The Bad in the Making of High and Low
There’s no denying the research and craftsmanship that went into High and Low. The cinematography and mise-en-scène are stellar, and the attention to detail is undeniably impressive—so much so it ended up hindering the storytelling.
Much like the detectives in the film, Kurosawa got so caught up in the details that it undercut the story’s greatest strength: the moral dilemma that drives both the tension and the characters.
While technically connected to the bigger picture, many of the leads the detectives pursue add little to the actual story. Instead, they slow the narrative down and overshadow the personal stakes of the tale, which is where the film really shines.
Mifune commands attention in the first half, but he’s pushed to the sidelines once the focus shifts from the emotional impact of the abduction to the mechanics of the investigation. When Nakadai takes over, the suspense drops like a stone and only briefly surfaces again toward the end.
After the first act, the most captivating part of High and Low is its depiction of 1960s Japan. Shots of bustling streets, subway cars, bullet trains, and other cityscapes offer a fascinating window into post-war life.
Then there’s the final act, which abandons realism for contrived studio sets of heroin-filled back alleys. These scenes feel as forced as some of the investigators’ tactics.
I don’t know if entrapment was a routine police method at the time, but when they fabricate news reports and bait the kidnapper into recreating his crime just to get a death sentence, their actions feel as morally questionable as his. Perhaps that was the point, in which case Kurosawa cleverly indicted the Japanese police force of his time.
High and Low Analysis | The Decline of Japanese Civilization
High and Low explores themes of morality and social inequality, inviting reflection on the human condition. Gondo’s actions outline moral dilemmas and internal struggles across social divides. As a wealthy man thrust into a crisis, he must navigate complex decisions that challenge his values and priorities.
As such, we are prompted to consider the impact of social status on behavior and empathy. This disparity is also reflected in how societal issues, like drug use, are portrayed, as well as in the police’s handling of these issues and Gondo’s case.
While heroin use was not as widespread in the aftermath of World War II, Japan faced significant problems with amphetamine use, which led to stricter drug laws. The magnified heroin use in High and Low might be intended to emphasize broader social issues.
The police don’t take issue with heavy drug use, nor do they shy away from questionable tactics to catch and convict their suspect. This is noteworthy, given Japan’s reputation for a high crime clearance rate—and its infamous reliance on suspect coercion to keep unsolved cases to a minimum.
As such, it is interesting to question whether Kurosawa intended to criticize Japanese law enforcement or if High and Low simply reflected common practices of its time. Though the kidnapper might have earned his fate, the way he’s steered toward a death sentence does leave a bitter aftertaste.
The Unbearable Cost of “Modernization”
The kidnapper’s motivations are layered and complex. At his core, he is driven by resentment and anger toward the growing social inequalities around him. Despite being a medical student, he struggles with a profound sense of disconnection and inadequacy in a society that increasingly puts wealth and status before individual worth.
His frustration may stem from feeling overlooked in post-war Japan, where rapid modernization transformed the social landscape. Citizens, once pawns of the war machine, became cogs in a burgeoning capitalist system. This shift left many feeling powerless and trapped, even with the privileges of education.
The kidnapper’s final statements reveal the depth of his bitterness—a simmering rage directed at societal structures he believes have failed him. This moment underscores the tragic outcomes of societal exclusion and the desperate actions it can provoke.
Japan once placed enormous stock in honor and traditional values—principles that still echo in its culture today. Yet, many of these values have been distorted and lost in the upheaval of modernization. Few felt this more acutely than the workers who suffered to make the post-war Japanese uprise possible.
Final Verdict | High and Low Review
Subjectively speaking, I can’t help but contest the rave reviews and IMDB-rating of High and Low, yet I have to concede there is something unforgettable about it. It's certainly interesting between the lines and from a filmmaking perspective—but I don’t reckon that’s enough.
As far as JCA is concerned, a classic earns its status by excelling in all aspects, including character development and entertainment value. In both these areas, High and Low falls short.
Though the film builds tension nicely in the first act and ends on a suspenseful note, it spends over an hour underbuilding the anticipation. Like that annoying friend who explains the punchline of their own jokes, High and Low over-elaborates the investigation and loses steam along the way.
As my attention slipped, I started thinking more about the context and found many interesting parallels and reflections of its time. Perhaps these layers are part of why the film is so beloved. Still, the story itself didn’t keep me engaged throughout.
Beyond Gondo and the Kidnapper, the characters felt very one-dimensional. Nakadai’s performance, for instance, while competent, lacked the presence I’ve come to expect. He never quite captured the tension or gravitas the role seemed to demand. Mifune, meanwhile, delivered the goods but occasionally teetered on the edge of over-acting.
High and Low might have been a marvel of procedural police film noir in its day, and certain aspects—like the craftsmanship—have aged well. However, the unorthodox narrative structure and heavy focus on detail haven’t held up as strongly over time.
In other words, it’s a recommended watch for cineasts, but if you’re new to Japanese cinema, there are better starting points. Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Cinema to find your perfect gateway film into the marvelous world of Japanese film. Click the banner below to get started right away!
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